Sword Art Online: Dragon Blade
by Nighthawk1973
Summary: 10,000 people, mostly children, enter a seemingly harmless VR MMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Play Game) only to find out that the game is actually a giant death trap. Five kids band together to face this threat and attempt to return home alive.
1. Entering Aincrad

**Sword Art Online**

**Dragon Blade**

**Entering Aincrad**

"It is the year 2022. Man has finally created a completely virtual environment. Kayaba Akihiko, the inventor of the NerveGear and the full-dive system, has created an MMO called Sword Art Online which places the player fully into the game. All ten thousand copies were sold upon its release. Every store was sold out within three minutes. One person claims to have waited in line for three weeks."

I turned off the television, silencing the news anchor, and went downstairs for lunch. It has been an hour since the release of Sword Art Online, or SAO for short. I had a copy reserved for myself while I was using the beta version. I was one of the thousand lucky people chosen to be beta testers.

When I reached the kitchen, I grabbed some bread and quickly retreated back to my bedroom without my parents noticing me. I quickly wolfed down the bread then put my copy of SAO into the disk drive, plugged my NerveGear into my computer, and slipped the helmet onto my head.

"Link start!" All feeling of my body went away, and my vision showed pure white then a full array of colors. My being was placed in a small room with a screen and a virtual keyboard, and on the screen it asked what language is to be used. I typed in Japanese. It then asked for a username and password, and I typed in Nighthawk then my password. The game accepted it and my being was placed into SAO.

The game started me in the Town of Beginnings, where everyone starts. Being a beta tester, I knew exactly where I was going and what I was doing. I started running towards the town exit, sidestepping everyone in the streets. I wanted to get as much experience points as possible before I had to log out.

As I was dashing out of an alley, I rammed into a girl and both of us went down. I quickly got off of her. "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience," I apologized and quickly helped her up. "If you want, I could help you level up. I was one of the lucky thousand chosen for the beta test. It might be worth it."

Her facial expression was thoughtful for a moment then she smiled and said, "Alright." She held out her hand. "My name is Shade." I took her hand and shook it. "Are you going to invite me to a party or am I going to invite you," she asked, smirking.

"I will invite you." I brought up the game menu. "You have a very nice and unique name," I told her as I invited her to a party. She smiled at the compliment. "Is this your first MMO?" She nodded. "I'll help you through it." I said with a smile. She smiled back.

"That's very kind of you." Her expression then turned concerned. "I'm here with three of my friends and this is their first MMO as well. Could they join us?" My expression turned blank as I thought about it for a few moments. "Please," Shade pleaded.

"Of course, but having more people along will slow our progress. I was a soloer in the beta test but I'm sure I can get used to working with a team." Shade's eyes lit up. "Go get your friends so I can invite them to the party and please do it quickly. I only have two hours left before I have to log out."

"I will get right on it!" She ran off and disappeared into the crowd. I sat at the corner of the nearest building and started counting how many people went by, waiting for her to return. I counted to twenty three before I saw Shade running back with three other people, two girls and one guy. I got up and waved to them. Shade waved back, looking delighted that I had waited, and they all quickened their pace.

"That was very quick," I said to Shade. "I admire your speed." Her face glowed with self pride. I turned my attention to her friends. "My name is Nighthawk. I was one of the beta testers."

"We were so anxious to come when we heard a beta tester was offering to help us! Not one of us hesitated to follow Shade," the taller of the two girls stated with excitement.

"Are you really going to help us," asked the shorter one, staring up at me with a joyful expression.

"Of course. It would be rude of me not to after I ran right into Shade."

"We were both running," stated Shade.

"I will still help. We can even form a guild if you all want." All of their faces lit up.

"In a guild with a beta tester? We would be unstoppable!" exclaimed the guy with excitement. Shade's expression suddenly turned to surprise.

"I forgot to introduce my friends," said Shade with her head hanging.

"That's alright," I told her, smiling and putting a hand on her shoulder. "You can introduce them now while you are still thinking about it." She lifted her head and smiled. I took my hand from her shoulder when she moved to the shorter girl.

"This is Moon. She is very sweet and caring but you don't want to get on her bad side," Shade said with a smirk. "I like to consider her my little sister." She moved to the taller girl. "This is Nightshade. She has a big attitude but a bigger heart. She is always willing to protect those she cares for."

"If you try flirting with me, you will die slowly and painfully," declared Nightshade with the straightest of faces. I was taken aback by the threat, partly because the idea had never surfaced in my mind.

"This is Hawkfury," said Shade when she motioned to him. "He lives right by me and introduced us all to this game. He bought as many copies as he could for his friends, which just happened to be only us. He can be a bit of a sore loser at times," Shade teased. Hawkfury gave her a quick disapproving look. "What do you think of us?"

"I think we won't be as slow to progress as I thought we would be," I answered. All of them lit up. Shade, the tallest of the three girls, hugged the other two girls.

"I will look out for you all, and, in turn, you all will look out for each other. Even though we cannot create a guild yet because of our levels and progress in the game, we can still consider ourselves in one," I stated. "Are there any suggestions as to what we should call ourselves?"

"The Unseen Hand," offered Nightshade.

"The Black Knife," offered Hawkfury.

"Death's Knights," offered Moon.

"All are very good choices," I said, "but I think I'll leave the decision to Shade."

Shade thought for a moment then said, "The Dragon's Claw." The three others discussed it among themselves then unanimously agreed to it.

"It is an excellent name without a doubt," I stated. "We shall be hence known as the Dragon's Claw!" They all roared and thrust their fists into the air. "I need to friend you all," I said as I brought up the menu again, "and invite you all into the party." I sent friend requests to them all and invited them into the party, which they all hastily accepted. "Are you all ready to level up?"

"Yes," they all shouted with excitement. "I can't wait to experience what this game has to offer," said Shade. The five of us set out to the fields outside the Town of Beginnings.

All over the fields, boars roamed around. There were a few small groups fighting some boars, some of which looked like they could use some help getting used to the game. Off in the far distance I could see two guys who seemed to be doing very well.

"Alright," I said. The whole group's attention turned to me. "I'll attract the boars' attention and bring them to you. Each of you will strike then switch out in a cycle. Shade will strike first, then Moon, third will be Hawkfury, and Nightshade will bring the cycle back to Shade. The cycle does not reset back to Shade at the end of each battle, so the person who was supposed to strike after the person who struck last will strike first at the start of the next battle." I looked at them all. "Any questions?" It was silent for a moment then Moon's hand went in the air.

"What was the plan?" asked Moon. I hung my head and stared at the ground for a moment.

"You hit the pigs after I hit them, ok?" Shade told Moon. She nodded and Shade smiled. "It's ok Nighthawk. She understands now. You just have to put it into words she can understand."

"Alright," I said again, clasping my hands together. "We are going out now. Remember that we are a team and that we need to work together as one. If you see someone struggling, try to help them out." They all nodded and we headed out into the fields.


	2. Calamity

**Calamity**

Moon jumped onto the boar and thrust her dagger into its back. The boar squealed and flailed about, trying to get her off, but she held on with her weapon. After a few seconds of the rodeo, the boar fell over and shattered. Moon and Shade advanced to level five. They hugged each other in celebration. I started to walk away to get another boar when Hawkfury called my name. I stopped and turned around to face him.

"How strong are these boars?" he asked.

"They are about as strong as slimes in other games."

"Really? I thought they were stronger than that."

"Would you like to fight something harder?"

"Well, it would be nice," admitted Hawkfury. "We would level up faster."

"I would but I wanted to get you all familiarized with the game for now. Besides, I need to log off at five."

"It's five thirty right now," said Shade. A shocked cry left my mouth. I frantically brought up the menu.

"I need to get off now!" I opened the options submenu and stared at it in disbelief. The logout button wasn't there. I just stood there, silent.

"What's wrong?" asked Moon.

"The logout button isn't there." The others cried out in shock then checked their own menus. More cries came from them when they discovered it for themselves.

"How are we going to get off the game?" asked Nightshade. "I have a paper due tomorrow."

"It is clear. We won't get off. It is impossible to logout unless we logout ourselves or a GM logs us out." Moon looked like she was about to burst into tears. Shade quickly started to comfort her.

We are all suddenly transported back to the town square of the Town of Beginnings. Every player was there and everybody was exchanging frantic words and looks.

Out of curiosity, I looked up at the sky. In the middle there was a red elongated hexagon with the word 'WARNING' on it. The hexagon blinked five times then the whole sky was covered by hexagons, each with a different message. A blood-red liquid started to ooze from between the hexagons and joined together, turning into a faceless cloaked figure.

"Attention, players," said the cloaked figure, raising its arms up to its sides. "Welcome to my world." Shocked cries arose from the crowd. "My name is Kayaba Akihito. As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world."

Voices arose from the crowd such as "Is that really him?" and "He must have spent a lot of time on this."

"I'm sure you've already noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu," said Kayaba and he brought up his own menu for all to see. "But this is not a defect in the game. I repeat… This is not a defect in the game. It is a feature of Sword Art Online. You cannot logout of SAO yourselves. And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear. Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and thus ending your life." Shocked cries and angry outbursts shot from the crowd. A couple tried to walk away but were kept in by an invisible wall.

"This is crazy," said Shade.

"He has to be off his rocker," commented Nightshade.

"The transmitter's signals work just like microwaves," stated Hawkfury.

"If the safety were to be turned off…" I said with a hint of fear.

"Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have ignored this warning, and have attempted to remove the NerveGear. As a result, two hundred and thirteen players are gone forever, from both Aincrad and in the real world."

"Two hundred and thirteen?" Moon said in shock.

"Unbelievable…" said Hawkfury.

News articles appeared all around Kayaba then he said, "As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the deaths. Thus you can assume that the danger of a NerveGear being removed is now minimal. I hope you can relax and attempt to clear the game. But I want you to remember this clearly. There is no longer any method to revive someone within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be forever lost. And simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain."

Moon burst into tears and Shade tried to calm her between sobs. Nightshade looked worried and scared for the first time. Everyone else stared up at Kayaba with frightened faces.

"There is only one means of escape," continued Kayaba. "To complete the game. You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, Floor 1. If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss, you may advance to the next level. Defeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game." A large clamor exploded from the crowd.

"All hundred floors? That's impossible," declared Shade.

"Finally, I've added a present from me to your item storage. Please see for yourselves," added Kayaba.

I brought up the menu and looked in my item storage. Everyone else did as well. The item's name was Mirror. I selected it and it materialized in front of me. After catching it, I looked into it and saw my avatar's reflection. There was a flash of light that engulfed the whole of the crowd. Everyone's appearance had changed, including my own. I looked at my reflection again and saw that it had changed to that of my real self. Shaggy golden brown hair, blue eyes, and six feet tall. I dropped my mirror and it shattered and dematerialized upon impact.

When I looked back at my new friends, I wouldn't have known who they were if they weren't tagged as party members. Hawkfury was almost an exact match to me but he had black hair and brown eyes instead. Moon looked to be no older than eight years old with a braided ponytail and innocent green eyes. Nightshade was about twelve years of age and had black curly hair extending just past her shoulders. Shade looked to be the eldest girl in the group. She had long straight blonde hair that extended down to her thighs, bright blue eyes, and no older than fifteen.

"We're ourselves in this deathtrap," I mumbled to myself. Shade threw her mirror at the ground in anger.

"How is this possible?" asked Nightshade.

"The NerveGear scans your face then has signal input from when you had to calibrate it," I said. "That is how he got the information."

"Right now, you're probably wondering 'Why?'" continued Kayaba. "Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do all this? My goal has already been achieved. I created Sword Art Online for one reason… To create a world and intervene in it. And now, it is complete." I clenched my fist in anger. "This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch. Good luck, players," he said then vanished back in between the hexagons, which disappears shortly afterward. Everyone was struck dumb by Kayaba's message and they all just stood there.

"What will we do?" asked Shade. "Will we survive?"

"We will survive. If we look out for each other and watch each other's backs, then we will pull through this, for we have strength in numbers, abilities, and diversity. There will be little we cannot do," I told them confidently, head held high. "We are the Dragon's Claw. And nobody can take that away!" I thrust my fist into the air and the others quickly did as well. _We will make it_, I thought to myself.


	3. First Meeting

**First Meeting**

One month had passed since the start of this death game. Two thousand players had died already, leaving seven thousand seven hundred and eighty seven left. Many players had decided to stay in the Town of Beginnings for fear of dying. A player fighting on the frontlines called for a meeting of the others who are on the frontlines.

The meeting took place in a small amphitheatre in the town. When we arrived there were several players already seated. I moved to the far right of the amphitheatre and took a seat. Shade and the others quickly did the same. Shade sat by me with Moon in between us. Hawkfury and Nightshade sat back one row just behind us. I looked around and saw Kirito, a semi-famous soloer, in the audience.

A guy with blue hair and dressed in blue clothing and light bronze armor stood on the stage area. A one handed sword hung from his belt and a shield on his back. He clapped twice and shouted to get everyone's attention.

"Okay, let's get started, people!" he yelled. "Thank you all for coming today. My name is Diabel. I like to consider my 'job' as Knight," he said with a smile. Everyone laughed at his last statement.

"There is no job system in this game!" somebody from the audience shouted. "A Knight?" and "Then this meeting is a joke, too?" also were said.

Diabel's face suddenly turned serious. "Today, our party found the boss room at the top of the tower." Many players were shocked. "We need to defeat the boss, reach the second floor, and tell everyone waiting in the Town of Beginnings that it is possible to beat this game. Everyone present here shares this duty! Do you all agree?" Everyone seemed to be nodding their heads then they started clapping.

"Alright," Diabel said, "then let us begin our planning." He half raised his arms. "First, divide into parties of six. An ordinary party has no chance against a floor boss. We'll need to form a raid group using multiple parties."

"Does that mean we need another member added to our group?" asked Hawkfury.

Without turning around, I said, "He said 'ordinary party.'" I turned to face him. "Are we an ordinary party?" I asked him, smirking.

Hawkfury smiled back then said, "No," casually.

I looked around at the audience. Everybody had joined together into parties already. Kirito sat apart from the rest of the audience with a cloaked figure.

"Okay, have you formed your parties?" Diabel asked then started to say something when he got interrupted.

"Just a second," shouted a man who was standing at the very back of the seats. He jumped down five rows at a time until he reached to stage where he skid to a halt. He had brown hair with spikes formed out of it and brown eyes. He was wearing scale mail armor with a two handed sword strapped to his back. "My name is Kibaou," he said. "I wanna say something before we take on the boss. Some of you here need to apologize to the two thousand who have died so far!" He pointed to the audience.

"Kibaou-san," interjected Diabel, "are you reffering to the beta testers?"

"Of course I am," Kibaou shout at Diabel. "On the day this stupid game started, the beta guys ditched us beginners, and they all disappeared."

Moon gasped at the news. I was furious that he was classifying all beta testers into one group and characterizing them as bad people only interested in themselves.

"They took all the good hunting spots," said Kibaou, "and easy quests for themselves, so only they could get stronger. And then, they just ignored the rest of us." He glared into the audience and raised his fist. "I'm sure someone here was in the beta! They should get on their knees and apologize, and give up all the items and money they've hoarded. Otherwise, we can't trust them to protect us as party members, and they shouldn't trust us!"

"May I speak?" came a low pitched voice from the audience. A tall man, tallest of us all, stood and made his way to the stage. He was bald with brown eyes and a beard with white and black clothes on under a breastplate and an axe hung on his back. "My name is Egil," he said when he approached Kibaou. "Kibaou-san, tell me if I have this right. You're saying that because the beta testers didn't take care of them, many beginners died. That they should take responsibility, apologize, and provide compensation. Correct?"

"Y-Yeah."

"You got this guide book," Egil said as he pulled a small book from his back pocket, "didn't you? It was provided for free at the item store."

"Sure, I did… Why?"

"It was compiled from information given by the beta testers." The audience was shocked. Egil turned to the audience. "Listen. Everyone had equal access to this information. And even still, many players died. I thought the topic of discussion here was what we could learn from their deaths, and how that can help us defeat the boss." He turned back to face Kibaou, who gave him a foul look then begrudgingly sat down amongst the crowd. Egil sat by him.

"All right," Diabel said to redirect everyone's attention back to him. "Then, can we resume?" Everyone nodded. Diabel pulled out his copy of the guide book. "The lateset edition of that guide book was just issued, and it contains information on the boss." Gasps arose. "According to it, the boss's name is Illfang the Kobold Lord. He is guarded by assistants known as Ruin Kobold Sentinels. He is armed with an axe and a buckler. He has four health bars, and when the last one enters the red, he switches to a curved sword-type weapon called a Talwar. His attack pattern changes, as well." The audience murmured and mumbled. Diabel closed his guide book. "This concludes the briefing. Lastly, items will be automatically distributed. EXP goes to the party that defeats the monster. And whoever receives an item keeps it. Any objections?" Only mumbles came from the audience. "Okay, we leave tomorrow, at ten in the morning. See you there!"

The different groups got up and left. Kibaou and Diabel stuck around to chat. The cloaked figure left and Kirito followed her.

"Do you think people will die during the boss fight?" asked Moon.

"I think at least one will die," I said.

"I hope it's Kibaou-san who dies," stated Nightshade with an evil look in her eyes. "He really annoyed me to death for a moment."

"Do you think one of us will die?" asked Moon.

"Of course not! We are the legendary Dragon's Claw!" shouted Shade.

"Before anyone fights anything, we need to prepare," I stated. "We need provisions and items then we need to rest. We won't fight well enough without sleep." As if on cue, Moon yawned. _I need to protect these people._


	4. Preparations

**Preparations**

Nightfall was quickly approaching. The street lamps in the town lit up with bright flames, lighting up the town with a warm glow. Players were in the streets, partying and getting ready for the boss fight in the morning. Kibaou and Diabel were drinking together. I sat at the edge of the water fountain with the rest of my group.

"How much money does everyone have?" I asked.

"I have 217 coll," said Nightshade. "I spent my money on my new axe." I looked over and there was a dual edged axe slung on her back.

"Is that the type of weapon you want to use?" I asked her, curious. She nodded with a smirk.

"I have 157 coll," said Hawkfury. "I just bought this spear." A steel spear was on his back. "I just bought it as well." I nodded in acknowledgement.

"I have 1,537 coll," said Moon.

"I have 1,929 coll," stated Shade.

"I think it's time to upgrade your dagger," I said to Moon.

"I just upgraded my sword," stated Shade.

"Then you should upgrade your equipment," I told her. "You only have one life you know." She had an annoyed expression on her face. I got up and stretched. "The equipment I have is good for everyday use, but I need new equips if we're going into a boss fight."

"How much money do you have?" asked Hawkfury inquisitively.

"5,682 coll. I've been saving whatever I can," I said. "It's a good thing I did, too. Bosses are ten times tougher than the regular monsters."

Moon jumped up and asked, "Can I pick out my dagger?"

"Of course," I told her. "I won't tell you what to buy this time." She lit up and smiled. "But make sure that it's a good one. Remember, we will be fighting the boss tomorrow."

"I will," she assured me then ran off into the marketplace.

"What should I get?" asked Shade. "You said I need new equipment, right?"

"Yes, I did. Get yourself some armor to boost your defense. When you're done, meet back here."

"All right," she said then ran off just like Moon.

"You two stay here and wait for Moon and Shade to return," I ordered Nightshade and Hawkfury. "I'm going to get new equipment as well. If they return before I do, then all of you go to the inn. I'll be back before midnight." They nodded then I ran into the marketplace as well.

Shops lined the streets everywhere. Players were walking and talking in the streets and looking at the different things to buy. Everyone was busy preparing for the boss fight the next day.

I walked to the western most edge of the marketplace and stopped at an alley. Looking to see if anyone was watching, I slipped into the alley and hid in the shadows, slowly making my way to the secret shop. I rounded the corner and went in.

The secret shop was under the item store. The only way in was through a cellar door at the back of the building. One could buy weapons, shields, and armor there that was better than what the other shops sold. All sorts of equipment was displayed on the walls.

"Welcome to the secret shop," said the NPC behind the counter. "How may I help you?"

"I am here to buy," I told him.

When I walked into the inn, I saw the other four sitting at a round table. Moon and Shade sat close together and Nightshade and Hawkfury sat apart. Nightshade sat closer to Moon and Hawkfury sat closer to Shade. Moon had a mostly eaten slice of cheesecake in front of her.

I walked up to the table and said, "I'm back." They all looked over and cries of amazement escaped their mouths. I had on steel scale mail armor and leggings, light metal gauntlets and sollerets, and a light metal helmet that came down over my entire head except my face. A steel hand and a half longsword hung from my back with a large shield over it. The shield was black with a blue dragon silhouette on it. I sat down between Nightshade and Hawkfury.

"Where did you get all those?" asked a bewildered Shade. "I was at every shop comparing equipment and I didn't see any of those anywhere."

"You didn't go to every shop," I told her.

"Then which one did I not go to?" She asked, annoyed.

"The secret one." All of them were shocked.

"There's a secret shop?" asked Nightshade. "Where is it?"

"I will not tell where there can be someone listening. It wouldn't be a secret anymore if everyone knows about it." Nightshade looked annoyed but understanding.

"So, what is the plan for tomorrow's boss fight?" asked Hawkfury. "I know there is already a plan, but I was wondering if you had any further plans." I leaned forward over the table and everyone else leaned in to hear.

Calmly, I said, "We will be one of the parties dealing with the Ruin Kobold Sentinels. I will engage the sentinel and try to knock it off balance. Once I have done so, everyone will strike. I will strike first because I will already be there, then Shade will strike. Third will be Moon, next will be Nightshade, and Hawkfury will deliver the final blow. Any questions?"

"When do I hit the monster?" asked Moon.

"You hit the monster as fast and as hard as you can after Shade hits it," I told her, smiling. She smiled back. "One more thing. If you see that someone needs help, help them. But only help them after the sentinel is killed. We need all of us to bring it down, but we also need to protect others."

"So helping others is important but focusing on our target instead of helping is more important?" asked Shade with her arms crossed.

"I am glad you asked that question. Let me clarify what I just said. Helping others and taking out this sentinel are equally important, but we must work together and not split apart to help everyone if we are to win. The key to victory is teamwork. We must stick together if we are to survive."

"I understand," she said.

"We must stick together to eliminate the sentinel so that we can help others."

"That makes more sense," stated Hawkfury.

"I can't wait to split some skulls with my new double edged axe," stated Nightshade.

"Tomorrow," I said. "Right now we need to sleep." I stood up. "Again, protect each other. I don't want any of you to die." _I don't want anyone to die._


	5. Beaters Revealed

**Beaters Revealed**

The air was cool and refreshing. The trees were tall and provided plenty of shade from the virtual sun. The only sounds were those of clanking armor and heavy footsteps. I was in the middle of the large group marching towards the dungeon with my new comrades in arms. Everyone was prepared for battle with new equipment, weapons, and courage. All had a determined look about their faces.

Shade and the others were messing around with their weapons. Shade had her two handed longsword raised up high. Light that had breached the shield of leaves glinted off the blade. Moon had her dagger in hand, a crescent moon etched into the blade. Nightshade and Hawkfury were mock fighting, stopping their weapons before they hit. I followed close behind, shield and sword at the ready.

"I'm so excited," said Nightshade. "I finally get to use my axe!"

"You can cleave as many skulls as you want once we get to the dungeon," I told her. "For now, try to contain your excitement. Also, don't overexert yourself before reaching the boss."

"I know," said Nightshade, annoyed.

"Exactly how hard was the boss in the beta test?" asked Shade.

"Not too difficult. Most of us hadn't leveled up enough before taking on the boss. Those of us who didn't die were barely able to defeat him. Many were forced to respawn at Town of Beginnings because they neglected to change their respawn point. All who died didn't get anything from the battle and some of their equipment was heavily damaged by the blows," I told her, staring straight ahead.

"Oh," she said, a bit worried. "Do you think we are a high enough level?"

"Fifteen should be high enough for this boss. We will need to train like there is no tomorrow to keep up with the level requirements of these battles." A pause followed.

"We are almost to the dungeon," shouted Diabel from the front. "If you do not have your equipment on, put it on now!"

We all put on our new equipment. Shade wore a deep green turtle neck shirt with a black jacket over top. Her hair was put into a braided ponytail and sunglasses were on her face. Moon had on a black longcoat with purple trim and a purple shirt underneath. She wore a black skirt that went down to just above her knees. Nightshade had on light armor and leather gloves and boots. She placed a flower in her brown hair. Hawkfury had on chain mail armor and leggings with light metal gauntlets and sollerets. His helmet covered his entire head except the lower half of his face.

"Is everyone ready?" I asked them. They all nodded. "Then let's do this," I said, drawing my sword.

The line of players slowly disappeared, marching into the dungeon.

We reached the top of the dungeon. The door to the boss room was very large with intricate carvings. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that this was the boss room. Moon and Shade stared in awe while Nightshade just smirked. Diabel turned to the large group of players and thrust his sword into the ground. A sharp clang resounded in the dungeon corridors.

"I have only one thing to say," stated Diabel. "Let's win!"

Two players pushed the massive doors open and everyone stepped in. After walking a short distance into the dark, dull room, it lit up with a massive array of colors. A massive dog-like creature jumped forth, wielding an axe and a circular shield. It was reddish brown with blue markings on its front and massive fangs. The words "Illfang the Kobold Lord" appeared above his head and four health bars next to his head as he roared a deep, guttural growl. Smaller versions of it, completely covered in armor and wielding large poleaxes, materialized with the words "Ruin Kobold Sentinel" above their heads. All of them dashed forward.

"Commence attack!" shouted Diabel, pointing his sword. Everyone in the front of the group rushed at the new enemies, shouting war cries. Kibaou and a minion locked weapons first. Our group stayed back, Nightshade bouncing around anxiously.

"Squad A, Squad C, switch!" shouted Diabel. The boss raised his weapon and it began to glow. "Here it comes! Squad B, block!" Several players' weapons glowed and all of them clashed with the boss's axe, sending it flying back. "Squad D, Squad E, switch! The rest of you deal with the minions!"

"That's our cue," I said then rushed forward at the nearest sentinel. Our weapons clashed as we struggled to gain the upper hand. I blocked its attack on my left flank with my shield then swung my sword at it, which it promptly blocked. _Now is my chance!_ I knocked it off balance with a swift strike of my shield on its torso. "Now!" I struck it in the same spot with my sword, knocking it further off balance.

Shade rushed in, shouting a war cry, and sliced right through the shaft of the poleaxe and into the sentinel's right flank. She moved away and Moon came in like a blur, slicing across its mid section. Nightshade came in soon after, swinging her axe as hard as she could at its left flank and knocking it to the ground. Hawkfury sprinted forward, jumped high into the air, and, weapon glowing, landed his spear right into the heart of the sentinel. The sentinel soon shattered and disappeared. At that moment, the boss's last HP bar reached the red. Illfang threw his axe and shield up into the air, away from him.

"I'll finish him!" shouted Diabel as he dashed through the ranks towards Illfang. The giant monster reached behind its back and waited a moment. When Diabel got close, it leaped into the air and jumped from wall to wall, causing confusion.

"Diabel, jump back as quickly as you can!" shouted Kirito from the back. Kibaou looked back at Kirito, surprise covering his face. Illfang jumped down and knocked Diabel into the air then, with a katana-shaped sword, activated a skill, causing the blade to glow, and sliced Diabel across the front, leaving a long red line from his left shoulder to his right hip. Kirito ran to him with a health potion in hand, but Diabel's avatar shattered and disappeared, leaving Kirito kneeling alone. After a moment, he got up and faced the boss. The cloaked figure raced to his side. The two exchanged some words that were to quiet to hear from a distance then they charged at the boss.

"Just like the sentinels," Kirito told her. As they approached, Illfang readied for a strike. When they got close enough it swung at them, but Kirito blocked the attack and the cloaked figure zoomed in. Illfang quickly regained control and swung down, destroying her cloak but barely missing her. She had long auburn hair and green eyes with white and red clothes and jacket. She sliced right across the beast's front, leaving a very long red cut, then retreated back. Illfang roared in pain.

"Once more!" shouted Kirito. He knocked its weapon away again, and the girl dashed in like a blur and slashed the boss again. Kirito shouted and ripped his sword right up its front, and Illfang, defeated, shattered and disappeared. There was a moment of silence as everyone stared in awe then they burst out cheering. Even Nightshade, Hawkfury, and Moon were cheering. Shade just punched me in the shoulder.

"What was that for?" I asked as I placed a hand on the impact site. There was a throbbing pain where it hit.

"For not letting me have in on the action," she said back, smiling. The cheering was suddenly silenced by an outburst from Kibaou.

"Why did you let Diabel die?" Kibaou asked Kirito from across the room.

"Let him die?" asked Kirito, confused.

"Of course! You knew that technique the boss used! If you told us about that upfront, he wouldn't have died!" Silence fell over the room.

"He must be a beta tester!" accused one of the other players. "That's how he knew all the boss's attack patterns. He knew but he didn't tell us!" Kibaou looked more upset. "Other beta testers are here, too, right? Come out!" I gripped my sword and shield tighter in anticipation. Moon looked up at me with beading eyes while Nightshade looked accusingly at me.

"Hey, come on…" started Egil. Insane laughter broke from Kirito, and everyone turned their gazes upon him.

"A beta tester? I wish you wouldn't compare me to those newbies," said Kirito as he got up and faced the crowd.

"W-What?!" exclaimed Kibaou.

"Most of the thousand beta testers were beginners who didn't even know how to level up," stated Kirito as he walked towards Kibaou. "You guys are better than they are." I stood there, shocked. "But I'm not like them. I made it higher than anyone else during the beta test. The reason I knew the boss's skills is because I fought monsters with katana skills on floors far above us. I know a lot more. Way more than any information broker."

"W-What?" said Kibaou, aghast. "That's…That's way worse than a beta tester! You're cheating! A cheater!" The crowd broke out into a roar.

"Yeah, a cheater!" came from the crowd. "A beta tester and a cheater…A beater!" Kirito smiled.

"A beater…I like it," stated Kirito. Kibaou was shocked. "That's right…I am a beater. From now on, don't confuse me with the other testers." Kirito dug through his inventory and equipped a new coat. The coat was black with brown covering the shoulders. He glanced at Kibaou then walked off. The girl soon ran after him. I walked off to the side and faced the wall.

"What's wrong?" asked Shade from behind.

"I am a beater. You know how they viewed Kirito. They will likely view me the same and look down upon any who I fight with." Shade walked up beside me and gazed at me. "I think you all would be better off without me."

"I don't care about other's opinions of me. I've been looked down upon for so long that I no longer care."

"But what about Moon? How is she going to react to it?"

"I will be Moon's support."

"And what about Nightshade and Hawkfury? How will they react?"

"They both will challenge anyone who challenges them. They will be fine," assured Shade.

"I feel more of a hinderment now with all of this negativity going around. I don't want to harm you or anyone in the group."

"You aren't a hinderment. You have helped us get better and become accustomed with life here. We look up to you as a role model. If you leave us then we will fall apart like a house of twigs in a strong wind. Don't leave us. We need you." A slight pause then, "I need you."

I realized what I really meant to them at that moment. _ I have a purpose with them. I serve as their guide. I am the leader that will deliver them from the darkness._ I extended a hand to Shade and said, "I'll stay." She smiled then took my hand in hers and we shook. _I won't desert you guys…Ever._


	6. Revelations

**Revelations**

A gentle breeze blew over the fields. Waves formed in the tall, tan grass. We all stopped on a small hill with a birch tree to rest. Moon watched the waves form in the grass with a sad expression. Shade sat by her and watched with her. Nightshade and Hawkfury lay at the base of the tree, enjoying the pleasant change in weather. I had climbed to the top of the tree and sat on the uppermost branch that would hold me, watching for anything unusual.

The first floor boss was the first time we encountered anything different from the beta test. Ever since then we have been on alert for anything and suspicious of everything. Fighting on the front lines is hazardous, and avoiding dangerous people was near impossible. But thanks to the first floor boss, we were more cautious when dealing with the second floor boss, defeating it with no losses.

The third floor has yielded no surprises yet, but I think something will happen. Whether it's a new enemy I haven't seen of another challenger, I don't know. One thing is for certain, though. We will have to fight till our last breath to beat this deathtrap.

"This field reminds me of home," said Moon with a hint of sadness.

"You live in a neighborhood with Hawkfury and I," said Shade.

"My home before moving into the neighborhood. It was a nice house with a lot of fields just like this one."

"Maybe we can buy a house on this floor. Would that make you happy?"

"Yes," said Moon as she wiped a tear from her eye. Shade put an arm around her.

I turned and looked down the path and say a group of eight walking down it. I jumped down and said, "We have company." Everyone got up.

"How many this time?" asked Nightshade.

"Eight." They all gasped.

"How can that large of a group make it this far that fast?" asked Hawkfury.

"Strength in numbers. Be on alert for trouble. If that's what they want then they've got it," stated Nightshade.

"How long until they get here?" asked Shade.

"I'd estimate about two minutes," I said.

"Why don't we hide in the fields?" asked Moon. "I used to travel in fields just like these. We won't get lost."

"Alright," I said. "Everyone into the fields!" We all raced into the fields as fast as we could. We kept running for five minutes before running into another hill with another tree. "We can stop here for now. I'm going to scout to see if we are still being followed." I climbed the tree and watched again. I was about jump down when I saw movement in the grass. _Oh no,_ I thought. _They followed us._ I jumped down and drew my sword. "They've chased us here. Time to find out why."

"If it's trouble, they've got it," said Nightshade, readying her axe.

"You already said that," said Shade, drawing her sword.

"Well, I'm saying it again," stated Nightshade.

"Ready yourselves. We might need to teleport to town," I said. Moon and Hawkfury readied their weapons. I equipped my shield and stood at the front of the group. The pursuers came out of the tall grass a minute later.

"There's the beater!" shouted the man up front, pointing at me. "Surrender now and prepare to be purged!"

"I find it amusing that you think you can kill someone who is probably five levels higher than you and has way more skill," stated Hawkfury. "Especially when that person has four friends, all of whom he or she trained and are all the same level as him or her."

"Hold on," I said. "I want to hear him out." I stuck my blade into the ground. "Who are you and what do you mean by 'purged'?"

A tall man came forth from the back of their group. He had very short brown hair, green eyes, and was very muscular. He wore a horned helmet and a full body of plate armor with gauntlets and sollerets. A long two handed sword hung from his belt.

"My name is Amadeus. I am the leader of my party. I came to this world with my little brother. We met on of your kind and he offered to help us. We fought together and it seemed like we were going to do just fine, but, when we found out that this game is actually a deathtrap, he ran away and abandoned us. My brother and I were struggling to keep up, and one day I lost him forever. Your kind did this to me, and I'm not the only one that this has happened to. I found others who have experienced the same thing and brought them together to purge this game of all those who stand in our way. All of the beaters must die!"

"I am sorry for your loss," I said.

"You're not sorry for anything! Your kind are heartless!" he shouted.

"I still don't see how you think you're going to kill me. The odds are against you."

"I have killed many like you. This will be the same!"

_Not good,_ I thought. _Time to signal the team._ "We have a dragon," I said, picking up my sword. My whole group pulled out teleport crystals and held them up. "Teleport!" we all shouted at once and we disappeared from the fields. We appeared in the nearest town at the town center. A tall birch tree grew in the middle with benches around it. We sat on a bench under the shade of the tree and relaxed.

"We barely got out of that one," said Shade with a sigh of relief.

"They'll find us again. I know that for sure," I said.

"We have enemies," stated Hawkfury. "What do we do now?"

"They want to wage war. He's going to get more followers and grow stronger," I said.

"Then how do we survive?" asked Moon.

"We train, try to find others who will help us, and defend ourselves."

"Where do we look for friends?" asked Shade.

"He said he wanted to kill beaters and have already killed some, right?"

"So we should look to other beaters," said Hawkfury.

"And those who have been afflicted by him," I said. "He will probably gain a larger force, but battles aren't won by numbers. Battles are won by skill. Divided, we are weak and easily toppled. Together, we are strong like a steel wall."

"When do we start?" asked Nightshade.

"Tomorrow. Today, we rest and plan our next move."

"That's the best plan I've heard all day," said Nightshade.


	7. Duelmasters

**Duelmasters**

The virtual sun slowly fell below the horizon. It quickly grew dark in the town. Stars lit up in the sky and the streetlamps lit up in the town. Very few people were out in the streets. I sat on a bench at the south side of the marketplace with Shade and the others.

"So, what are we going to plan first?" asked Hawkfury.

"We need to decide what each of us are going to specialize in," I said.

"Haven't we already decided what weapons we are going to use?" asked Shade.

"Not our weapons, but our abilities," I said. "One of us could be a blacksmith, another a merchant, and another a beast tamer."

"I want to be a beast tamer!" exclaimed Shade excitedly.

"I want to be a blacksmith," said Hawkfury. "I could be pretty good at it."

"I'll be a merchant," said Nightshade. "I a-well, I _was_ top in my math class…"

"But what does that leave me with?" asked Moon.

"You could be a chef," I said kindly with a smile. Moon lit up with happiness.

"I want to be a chef!" exclaimed Moon.

"You could make us tasty food instead of us buying this plain, dull bread all of the time," stated Shade.

"I can use my math skills to try to raise money for us," stated Nightshade. "Money is something we sorely need."

"I can forge us all of the best armor and weapons," stated Hawkfury. "They won't know what they're up against until it's too late!" We all laughed.

A little boy no older than seven suddenly ran by, chased by two men. He turned to enter an alley but stopped as a man walked out, sword drawn. Another man came down the opposite side of the street, spear lowered. The men closed in on the boy, who backed up to the wall and drew his dagger.

"Hey!" I shouted as I got up. "What's going on?" One of the men turned to face me.

"This boy stole our food," he said. I walked over to him and looked him in the eyes.

"What boy is so fierce that four men are needed to get him?"

"This doesn't concern you," he said angrily. "Go back to your friends." Just then Shade and the others got up and walked over. Nightshade spat at his feet.

"Trouble is what you're going to get if you keep asking for it," Nightshade said tauntingly. The man snarled in anger.

"Let the boy go," I said, "and nobody gets hurt."

"Not until this boy pays for what he did," stated the man.

I grabbed the hilt of my sword with my left hand, and the man swung at me. I dodged and struck him with my right hand, sending him flying down the street. Nightshade and Hawkfury struck the nearest two, sending them off to join their leader. We all turned our attention to the remaining one and he ran off.

"Thank you for helping me," said the little boy. Shade walked over to him and bent down to his height.

"What is your name?" she asked him.

"My name is Dwyn. I only stole food because I can't afford it myself," he said.

"You're so adorable!" exclaimed Shade as she hugged him. "Can we keep him? Please?"

"First, in order to join us, he must answer one question," I said. "What are you doing on the frontlines?"

"I was here with my older sister. She was a beta tester and wanted to show me the wonders of this new game she had been playing. When I first got here, I was amazed at how real it all seemed. Everything started great, but then Kayaba showed up and my joy turned into fear. I was afraid that I wouldn't get to see Mamma again. Then she gave me hope that we would someday get out to see Mamma again, and I stayed with her from then on out.

"We were doing great and we got together with some of her friends from the beta test. We fought in the second floor boss battle together. Everything seemed like it was going to be alright. We were happy together. Then, unexpectedly, this man shows up, says that he is going to purge the game of beaters, and kills my sister and her friends. He offered to let me join him, but, after what he had done, I refused and attacked him. He beat me down until my HP was almost out then called me a foolish boy and left me in the fields."

"You poor boy," said Shade sympathetically.

"That was a week ago," said Dwyn. "I've been fighting on the frontlines ever since to keep up what my sister was doing and to see Mamma again, to let her know that I am alright and that my sister did everything in her power to protect me."

I held out my hand to him and said, "Welcome to the Dragon's Claw." Dwyn lit up and hugged Shade back, almost crying with happiness.

"He could be our little spy," said Nightshade, grinning. Just then, Amadeus and his gang showed up with the four men from earlier.

"There's the beater!" shouted the leader of the four men, pointing at me.

Dwyn cowered behind Shade and said, "That's him. He killed my sister." I drew my sword and readied my shield, and my whole group readied their weapons.

"You plan to try to take us on in town?" I asked. "I promise that nothing will be accomplished. I cannot die while in a town."

"I will take your kind on anywhere!" shouted Amadeus. "Anywhere, and at any time!"

"You killed my sister!" accused Dwyn, jumping out from behind Shade.

"I see you have met one of the traitors," said Amadeus, amused.

"He is no traitor. He loved his sister and you took her away from him. You hurt him then you beat him up for what?" I asked.

"I did him a favor and how does he repay me? He attacks me! The brat needed to be shown humiliation!"

"You killed his sister. His sister! She was caring for him and giving him support, and you just removed her from his life! How did you expect him to react?"

"He had no right! But this isn't why I'm here. I am here to duel you." Everyone who was passing by stopped and watched. "If I win, you will surrender everything to me."

"And if I win?" I asked. He paused for a moment.

"I will leave you alone for a week."

"Deal." He brought up his menu and shortly afterwards a message appeared in front of me saying "Amadeus has challenged you to a first-strike duel. Do you accept?" I selected yes and a scoreboard appeared with a timer counting down one minute. I readied my shield and drew my sword. Amadeus drew his massive sword. I studied my surroundings for advantages as the timer ticked away. There were a few benches but they were blocked by spectators. The street was dark, only lit by streetlamps. The timer hit zero and "GO!" appeared between us, disappearing quickly.

Amadeus leaped forward and started pounding away with his sword. I blocked his every attack with my shield then jabbed at him only to be parried by a flick of his wrist. _His fighting style is aggressive_, I thought, _but I know his weak points._ I blocked his next attack with my sword then jabbed him with my shield, stunning him, and sliced across his chest. The words "WINNER: Nighthawk" appeared and the duel ended.

I sheathed my sword and walked over to Amadeus. He stood there, stunned by his loss. I held out my hand and said, "Well fought." Amadeus furiously hit my hand away.

"This isn't over," spat Amadeus then he turned and left. His group quickly followed.

"One week without incidents from him," said Shade.

"Let's hope he honors that," I said.


	8. Tensions Rise

**Tensions Rise**

Four days have passed since the last incident with Amadeus. We haven't even seen a trace of him so far. We found the third floor boss and defeated him. Dwyn's agility and speed was especially useful against the four blades of the monster though he couldn't do everything, as his defense and HP were low. I held off most of the attacks with my shield and sword. My strength was strained to the limit.

When we reached the fourth floor, we were greeted by a message offering us the ability to form a guild for being the first on the floor. I accepted, and the Dragon's Claw was officially formed. Our guild icon was a dragon's paw with blood dripping from each claw.

When the other players arrived, an announcement was made of another meeting. All players on the front lines were invited to it. All except beaters and beta testers, who made up about a fifth of the players on the frontlines. The person who made the invitation was Amadeus. We decided that he was probably trying to pull people over to his cause for a more effective "purge".

Shade hired a player to spy for us. She went for the whole duration of the meeting. When she returned, she confirmed our fears and notified us that most were inspired by him except for some twenty who stood up and left, apparently swayed in the opposite direction.

"That's twenty more we can add to our guild," said Shade.

"You know, you can be devious sometimes," I told her. Shade smirked at the remark.

"I didn't quite catch your name," I told the spy.

"It's Auryon," she said. I handed her a leather pouch filled with coins.

"Here's a 1,500 coll tip." She smiled. "Tell me, why did you choose to spy for us?"

"I don't like bullies, and he just seems a little too much like Adolf Hitler for my liking," she said.

"Fair enough," I said. "Would you like to join us, or will you turn us down too?"

"I'll have to turn you down, but I'm happy to work with you when you call," said Auryon. "I don't like taking sides, but I will oppose those who I feel are wrong."

"Thank you," I said and Auryon went on her way.

We hiked our way on to the next town, which also had a huge birch tree in the middle of the town center. Benches surrounded the tree, but we bypassed them and climbed the tree and sat in its branches amongst the leaves, hidden from onlookers. Every word we spoke was a whisper.

"What's the plan?" asked Hawkfury. "Amadeus just got about 3,200 more followers."

"His plan is obvious," I said. "Amass an army and sweep the game with it. I believe that our plan shall be obvious as well. We will do the same thing, inviting all beaters, beta testers, and enemies of Amadeus. We will be outnumbered, but wars aren't won by numbers. Wars are won by soldiers, resources, and by who has the best infrastructure. People will join together to defend themselves and loved ones, whether it be family or friends."

"Where will this meeting take place?" asked Dwyn.

"Right here in the town center. I want this to be public."

"When will we hold the meeting?"

"Right now."


	9. The Confederacy

**The Confederacy**

The town center was filled with people. About 2,000 players came to attend. Short people and tall, children, teenagers, and adults, light skin tones and dark, all kinds of hair styles and colors, and weapon and armor types. It was the largest gathering of people I had seen since when Kayaba gathered everyone in the Town of Beginnings. Me and the rest of the Dragon's Claw were still in the tree branches.

"How are we going to pull this off?" asked Moon. She seemed to be a bit worried. I was a bit worried myself.

"I'll figure it out as I go," I said. "I may need backup, though."

"I'm right here for you," said shade, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you." She smiled sweetly. I got up and turned to address the crowd, swiftly followed by Shade. I thought I saw Auryon in the crowd but quickly turned my thoughts away from her and to the task at hand.

"Hey!" shouted Shade and the whole crowd fell silent and turned its attention to us.

"Thank you all for coming," I said. "My purpose for calling together this meeting is to address an issue that can no longer be ignored."

"Is this an attempt to get us to join you guild?" asked a man from the crowd.

"No. I called you all here seeking to form an alliance between us all. We are facing a very dangerous threat that will try anything to either exterminate us or put us into hiding for good. This radical group has grown in size, from fifteen to about 3,200 members." Gasps escaped from the crowd.

"Hold on," said a man stepping forward from the crowd. He was in need of a shave, wore a red bandanna folded into a strip of cloth and tied around his head and red clothes under light armor, and had a katana on his belt. "My name is Klein. I just want to know what proof you have of this."

"The leader of this group is Amadeus. He called a meeting, inviting everyone except beaters and beta testers," said Shade. "I paid a player to go to this meeting and spy for us. This person confirmed it to us."

"Can this person come forth and confirm it again?" asked Klein, skeptical.

"I will not reveal the identity of this player," said Shade.

"That's fine because I will," said Auryon stepping forward. "I was the spy."

"Is what they say true?" asked Klein.

"Every word of it. Amadeus continues to grow stronger by blaming the minority for causing everyone grief. This is his Final Solution and he will keep at it until it is complete."

"So an alliance is necessary for our survival," stated Klein. "But before I agree to this," he said, turning to me, "what are the terms under which we must abide under this alliance?"

"We work together to overcome this threat. You all may keep you plans for you guilds, and you may keep your parties or even switch around if you want. But when a group is in trouble, we will all come to their aid. We must stick close and sometimes join together in troubling times. Remember that this is for our survival."

"Who will lead us?" asked a woman. "You?"

"This confederacy will be a full democracy. Everyone will have a say. We will hold regular meetings like this one."

"Meetings where you stand above the rest of us like this one?" jeered a man.

"I do not believe in any one person standing above others. I am in this tree simply so everyone can see me and I can see everyone while I speak." Silence spreads its tendrils everywhere. "War has started whether you like it or not. It's time to step up to the plate."

"I am with him," said Auryon. Everyone looked at her. "This may be another Holocaust, but we can do something that the Jews couldn't. We can band together and fight back!"

"She's right," said Klein. "If I am to die, then I will do it while fighting with my katana in my hand!" The whole crowd roared and raised their fists.

"Isn't that just toughing," came the chilling voice of Amadeus. Him and his people had blocked the six streets leading out of the town center.

"You promised an entire week without incident!" I shouted to him.

"I'm so sorry. I knew I smelled rats but I didn't know it was you that I smelled." I jumped down from the tree and walked over to him. He noticed the guild icon and smirked with amusement. "So, you finally got the guild officially formed. You have my congratulations."

"Why are you here?"

"I came to break up this little meeting. I can't let you kind have any chances."

"Well, I'm afraid you're too late. This confederacy has already formed." He suddenly turned angry. "You wasted your time coming here. I suggest you high-tail it out of here before some unwanted consequences come into place."

"Do you really think that you can hold your own against my ever-growing forces?" Shade and the others walked up and joined me.

"Let's find out, shall we? My guild against your best players."

"If I win, then your confederacy will disband," said Amadeus.

"And if I win, then you will allow us one month to prepare," I said.

"One week."

"Two weeks."

"Deal." We shook hands. "Get over here!" he shouted back at his forces. Five men stepped forward.

"Strike swiftly," I whispered to Shade.

"I plan to," she said, grinning.

The PVP match was started with the scoreboard saying "Amadeus's party vs. The Dragon's Claw." The one minute countdown started. Everyone drew their weapons.

"Be prepared for anything," commanded Amadeus to his men. "Who knows what these cheaters have up their sleeves."

"You all know what to do," I told my teammates.

The countdown reached zero and everyone leapt forward into combat. Dwyn got out but three of Amadeus's men got out as well. Hawkfury quickly got out Dwyn's opponent then got out himself. It soon dwindled down to Amadeus against me, Shade, and Moon. He surprised Moon with a sudden jab, getting her out. With Moon getting out, Shade and I fought with a searing fiery fierceness, knocking Amadeus around before stabbing him in the gut. The words "WINNER: The Dragon's Claw!" appeared above us. Amadeus sat, panting.

"How could this have happened?" he asked, bewildered.

"You rely on individual strength. We concentrate on teamwork. You fight for your own cause. We fight to protect those we love and care about. You were with you younger brother. Surely you understand this," said Shade.

"That didn't keep me from losing my brother. Your kind took him from me!"

"No, we didn't." I said. "You did." He glared at me. "The sooner you accept that, the fewer people will die."

"I will never accept that!"

"It was through your decisions that events occurred that caused you to lose your brother."

"No. You're lying!" Amadeus got up and ran off. His followers watched him then followed slowly.

"Do you think we'll see him again?" asked Dwyn.

"Yes. He will return."


	10. Behind the Scenes

**Behind the Scenes**

The tall structures on the 36th floor glistened with snow. Hawkfury and Nightshade sat on a bench together. Moon and Dwyn ran around and played in the snow. Shade and I stood together and watched. Christmas was just around the corner, leaving everyone anxious for it to come.

Four months have passed with no sight of Amadeus. Maybe we were lucky to not see him for so long. Maybe we weren't. We had some run-ins with his followers but not him. Hawkfury figured that he must be hiding.

Hawkfury maxed out his forging skill the day before. The whole guild pitched in to buy him his own forge. He was so excited to finally forge something then realized he didn't have any ore to use. We immediately went to work on trying to figure out where the best ore would be.

"Would it be here on this floor?" asked Shade.

"No. It's on the 55th floor in a dungeon guarded by a dragon," I said.

"A dragon?!" exclaimed Dwyn.

"Yes. As long as we stay away from its tail and jaws, we should be fine. But there's the issue of getting there first."

That day, we worked hard to reach the next floor. We fought hard, but the boss room eluded us until it was late in the day. We turned back to rest for the night. The next day was no different. We fought our way to where the boss room was the last day buy it wasn't there anymore. We didn't find it again until it got late, so we turned back.

"A boss room that changes places? How is that possible?" asked Dwyn.

"Yet another difference between here and the beta test," I stated, disheartened.

"We'll get to fight it," said Shade. "Don't be discouraged."

We went to the Confederacy and addressed them about the issue. A plan was devised to swiftly find the boss room and destroy the boss, advancing to the next floor. Once the plan was put into effect, the mission was completed within a half-hour. Access to floor 26 was granted.

When we arrived in the winter wonderland Dwyn and Moon immediately went running for the snow. Nightshade and Hawkfury went to sit on a bench together. Shade and I activated the teleport then stood together and watched everyone enjoy themselves. After a while we held hands.


	11. Gifts and Surprises

**Gifts and Surprises**

"I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas!" shouted Dwyn.

"I can," said Nightshade. "We've been here in this game for far too long."

"We have," agreed Hawkfury.

An enormous Christmas tree stood in the center of the town square. Silver tinsel and a huge variety of ornaments covered the tree. Everyone was gathered around it to celebrate the holidays. When the sky grew dark, the tree lit up with warm white lights stretched all around it. We made it to the 49th floor.

"It would be nice if we all had presents," said Shade with a sigh.

"Well, since there are no presents, I guess you won't be needing this," I said, pulling out a tiny dragon from behind my back. It was light blue with feathered wings.

"Wow!" exclaimed Shade. "It's so beautiful!"

"I named her Lana. She will heal you and help protect you." I gave Lana to her. "You said you want to be a beast tamer, so I decided to give you a head start."

"Thank you," she said, smiling. Her smile soon turned into a frown. "I don't have anything for you."

"That's fine! Just being here with you all is enough for me." She smiled again. "You all are the only friends I really have."

"Well, since you don't want anything," said Hawkfury to me, "then I guess you won't want this." He pulled out a suit of armor and a helmet. The armor was scale mail and hade dragon heads protruding outward from the shoulder pieces. The helmet was shaped like a roaring dragon's head. "I think they're fitting for the leader of the Dragon's Claw." He handed them to me, and I quickly equipped them.

"You look like a general from some fantasy story," teased Nightshade.

"This game might as well be a fantasy story," I stated. I looked at the stats for the armor and was amazed at how strong it was. "How did you make these?" I asked.

"Very carefully," he replied, smirking.

"I stole the ore for him," said Dwyn, beaming. The rest of us busted out laughing.

"All I could do was make sandwiches for everyone," said Moon.

"It's better than bread," stated Nightshade.

"I almost forgot!" exclaimed Hawkfury as he rummaged through his inventory. He pulled out a sword with a small flat area where it attached to the forearm and a double-edged blade that protruded from a dragon head's maw. "I took the sword and turned it into a shield so you could wield it with you other sword. Pretty creative, eh?"

"Very creative. How long did it take before the system finally accepted it as a shield?"

"About four days," he said, handing me the sword-shield. I equipped it and slashed at the air. It cut through exactly like a real sword.

"It works like a charm," I said. "Thank you."

"If it means the difference between victory and defeat, then it was well worth it." A message appeared. I opened it and read it then closed it out.

"Klein needs our help," I said. "He's fighting the Divine Dragons Alliance on the 35th floor."

"On Christmas Eve?" asked Shade, bewildered.

"Apparently," I said. "He's in the Evergreen dungeon. We need to run."

We sprinted into the dungeon, checking our map to find where Klein was. We reached him within five minutes. Klein and his five friends were locked in combat with twenty of the Divine Dragons. We all drew our weapons and quickly threw back the attacking players.

"Thank you for coming," said Klein.

"Why are they attacking?" I asked.

"They're trying to get to the event boss to try to get the drop."

"What drop?" asked Shade, curious.

"The boss is rumored to drop an item that can revive a player. The Divine Dragons want it just because it's rare."

"And why are you fighting them instead of working with them?" I asked.

"Because my friend, Kirito, is soloing the boss." I recognized the name immediately.

"Kirito the beater soloer?" I asked.

"Yeah. Do you know him?"

"I know of him," I said.

"I tried to reason with him to keep him from fighting alone but he wouldn't listen. He was determined but sounded a bit depressed. I thought I was about to reach him when these fiends showed up. We're defending Kirito."

"I see."

"Then we have no time to lose," said Nightshade.

The Divine Dragons grouped back together again and readied for another assault. We readied ourselves and joined Klein's ranks. For the first time we have the chance to die by the hand of a player. I posed, sword-shield across my front and sword down and off to the side.

The Divine Dragons looked shocked at my weaponry for a moment then charged. Our weapons collided with a fury of sparks. I slashed through the nearest opponent with my sword-shield, lowering his HP far into the red and forcing him to retreat. I immediately engaged with another.

Their numbers dwindled dangerously low while only two of Klein's friends had to retreat. It got down to just three Divine Dragons against Klein's force and my own. One leaped forward and, with a quick swipe of my blade, was sent retreating. The foreman sheathed his blade.

"Enough," he said. "This isn't worth it. We will leave for now, but we will never forget this."

"Then let it serve as a lesson. Attacking any member of the Confederation will prove futile," taunted Nightshade.

"Do not spoil victory with gloating," I scolded her.

"What? They started it," she said with her arms crossed. "They pretty much asked for it."

"It is ride and unsportsmanlike."

"Fine…" The two Divine Dragons remaining left.

"Thank you," said Klein. "We could have been toast."

"Helping players in need is why I am here," I said. "Besides, what is the point of forming a confederation if you don't plan to hold any part in it?"

"That is true," he said. "Where did you get that?" asked Klein, pointing at my sword-shield.

"Hawkfury forged it. The game considers it a shield so I can use it with my sword, but it still does damage like a sword."

"That is amazing. I didn't know that was even possible."

"Neither did I," I said.

"What is the item name?" asked Klein.

"Razorscale," said Hawkfury. "It's one of my custom designs."

"You forge great weapons," admired Klein.

"I also made Nighthawk's armor and helmet."

"Very nice. They suit him well."

"I'm waiting until we get to the floor with the crystal dragon to forge him a new sword."

"There is a crystal dragon?" asked Klein. "How do you know this?"

"I am a beater," I said. "That is why I called together the meeting to form the Confederacy. Beaters and beta testers are being hunted, and I don't like for anyone to feel that way. We beta testers are just like everyone else. We are set apart only by having previous experience with the game. Our personalities and character are no different than that of the whole player body."

"I see," said Klein. "I am glad to be a part of a noble cause."

"Thank you. You should probably stick around to see if Kirito survives."

"We will! You should get some rest. Evil never quits, and you need all of your strength to repel it."

"We will." We shook hands. "By the way, why were we the only people you called for help from?"

"You were the only group nearby that was still awake. Besides, I only had time to call for one person and we all saw how your group handled Amadeus's best. You really outmatch him with skill," remarked Klein.

"Thank you. We're going to go now. Let me know how Kirito is."

"I will. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." We headed back to town and slept at an inn.


	12. New Weapons

**New Weapons**

The icy winds of the mountainous dungeon cut right through the scales of my armor and stung my face. I did not mind, though, because it had no effect on me other than feeling cold. Shade and Moon were hunkered down in their longcoats, and Nightshade and Hawkfury had bought cloaks for this mission.

The mission was to collect as much ore from the crystal dragon as possible. We finally gained access to the dungeon with the dragon and discovered that it was a snow-covered mountain in the midst of a mountain range. Tunnels raced throughout the mountain like a labrynth, forming the dungeon. Frost dwarves and frozen golems thrived here.

"My poor Lana is freezing," said Shade. Lana was perched on Shade's shoulder with a tiny scarf wrapped around her neck. The small aqua blue dragon was shivering.

"We're almost there," I said. We had explored most of the tunnels already. The mountain trail we were now traversing was covered in blinding snow. "The summit is just up ahead. But, just in case something happens, have your teleport crystal ready."

"I feel bad for Dwyn," said Moon. "He's all by himself back at that inn."

"He'll be fine," said Shade. "I hired a small guild to secretly watch over him."

We reached the summit after treading in the snow for half an hour. Crystals jutted out of the ground like purple spears. Stealthily moving in between the crystals, we approached the center. When we arrived, there was no dragon.

"Where is it?" asked Nightshade.

"It's not here," stated Hawkfury.

"Thanks for stating the obvious," Nightshade told Hawkfury.

"Spread out and search for a hole," I said after thinking for a while. It was not long before Shade called out.

"It's over here!" shouted Shade. We all rushed to her position. An enormous pit extended down further than the light could show us.

"That's one big hole," exhaled Hawkfury.

"You're stating the obvious again," said Nightshade to Hawkfury.

"Calm down," I ordered. "We won't be able to fight the dragon if we fight amongst ourselves! Now, we need to hunker down until night."

"Why night?" asked Hawkfury.

"Because the dragon is nocturnal."

"I was hoping to fight the dragon and get back before dark," said Shade. "Lana will freeze out here."

"Then you need to keep her wrapped up in a blanket or keep her in your coat or sleeping bag," I told her. "Just do something." She took Lana off of her shoulder and stuck her inside her inside her longcoat so only its head and scarf-covered neck were sticking out. The dragon and Shade both looked less than pleased.

We went back to the edge of the summit and sat huddled up together in the middle of a tight group of crystals that sort of formed a protective shelter. We stayed warm using each other's body heat and waited for the right time. Many parties came through only to be disappointed and turn back.

When night fell, we got up and approached the center of the summit. The cold was almost unbearable. Our breath froze before it left our mouths. We took up our positions and waited. I watched the pit closely.

With a deafening roar that shook the ground beneath our feet, the crystal dragon shot out of the pit and into the sky. The beast was massive and had crystal shards growing out from its back, shoulders, and along its neck and tail. Its talons were like scythes and its glare was like it came from the icy depths of hell.

"Do you think I could tame it?" joked Shade.

With one flash of my sword, we emerged from our places and engaged the dragon in combat. I deflected its freezing attack away with the Razorscale then rushed in, distracting it long enough for Nightshade to bring down her Executioner's axe upon its head, dealing a fatal blow and ending the monster's life. The body shattered and disappeared.

"I only got one piece of ore," said Moon frowning.

"I only got one as well," I told her. "Besides, one is all you need for a new dagger."

"I got four," stated Hawkfury, "which completes the six needed for our weapons."

"Then we head back," I said, pulling out a teleport crystal. Everyone else soon pulled out their crystals as well. We raised our crystals and shouted, "Teleport!"

Hawkfury hammered away at the heated ore. The crystalline ore glowed from the heat of the oven in which it was exposed and sparks flew from every strike. Dwyn gathered the weapons as they were made so as to clear up space for Hawkfury to forge another. The rest of us waited outside the building on a bench.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" whined Moon.

"As long as it takes to make these weapons," Shade told her.

"How come Dwyn gets to be in there and I don't?" whined Moon impatiently.

"We promised him that he could since we wouldn't let him come on our expedition," I told her. I was quickly growing impatient with her.

"I don't like waiting," Moon whined. Hawkfury and Dwyn soon emerged bearing weapons.

"My creations are finally complete," said Hawkfury as he started handing out weapons to everybody.

Moon received a dagger with a light blue hilt and the full moon etched into the base of the silver blade. Shade received a two-handed broadsword with a light blue hilt and an elegant crossguard. The tip of her blade was like an arrowhead in which it widened before the two edges met together. Nightshade received a double-edged axe with vines winding up the shaft. Dwyn had a shortsword sheathed at his waist with an intricate light blue hilt like the other swords. A spear with an intricate light blue shaft was on Hawkfury's back.

"I thought I would save the best for last," he said as he handed me my new sword. The hilt was light blue and had scales carved into it. The crossguard was a pair of dragon wings and the hand-and-a-half longsword's blade came out of a dragon head's gaping maw. "It's called the Dragontongue."

"What's mine called?" asked Moon excitedly.

"Yours is the Moonstone," answered Hawkfury. "And yours is called Hemlock," he said, pointing to Nightshade.

"These look more like what would be put on display for decoration," stated Shade.

"That may be true, but their stats are amazing," said Hawkfury.

"We'll see just how good they are soon," I said. "We shall head back to the frontlines tomorrow."


	13. Capture

**Capture**

Hawkfury and I slowly circled each other. I was observing his movements as I waited for him to make a move. He took a step forward, causing me to take a step back and guard myself more closely out of reaction, and he smirked. I leapt forward and attacked with all of my skill. The fierce battle ensued for half-an-hour, complete with loud metallic clangs and sparks as we clashed weapons over and over. The battle ended when I knocked aside one of his stabs and he spun, knocking me over with the back end of the spear, then brought it down into my arm. The duel ended with Hawkfury as the winner.

"I can't believe I won," Hawkfury said after a few seconds of being stunned by his victory.

"You did well," I told him after getting up. "I didn't see that coming." I sheathed the Dragontongue. "There is nothing more for me to teach you."

"Teach me how to fight like that!" shouted Dwyn, who was watching the fight. Hawkfury looked over at me expecting me to answer.

I looked at Hawkfury and asked, "Are you going to answer him?" My question took him by surprise.

"Do you think I can do it?"

"Did you beat me just now?" I asked him.

"Yeah."

"There's your answer." He smiled then went over to Dwyn. I went back to the others.

Shade, Moon, and Nightshade were sparring in the town square where their HP could not drop. Shade was holding her own against Moon and Nightshade, who were desperately trying to dig past her defenses. It was not a duel recognized by the game, as there was no scoreboard and timer. I did not know how long they were going at it for.

I sat on a bench and silently watched the girls fight, waiting for one to finally land a hit and send them flying. Shade was constantly blocking and evading attack after attack, sparks shooting in all directions. Moon eventually slipped up and was thrown back by Shade's blade, leaving Nightshade's offensive open for assault. Nightshade was soon sent to join Moon by Shade.

"Impressive swordsmanship," I said to Shade, getting up and walking over to her.

"I was about to lose," she admitted, panting.

"It looks like you had a spark of good luck when Moon messed up."

"It looks like it," she repeated. She sheathed her sword then leaned her body against mine. "Will you stay with me forever?" she asked. I was taken by surprise by her question.

"We have only known each other for a few months. Are you sure you want that?"

"I'm sure," she said then kissed my avatar's cheek. I felt the heat leave my cheeks as I blushed.

"I will stay with you forever," I told her after a moment. She gave me a genuine smile from the heart.

"That's just touching," said Amadeus. He stood in a street opening, leaning against a wall. "I was just beginning to wonder if you had died already." His figure was shrouded in shadow.

"Leave us alone, Amadeus. We don't want to hurt you," I stated.

"Hurt me?" he said mockingly. "How can you hurt me when I have these new friends?" Twenty or so figures hidden under cloaks and wielding dark-looking weapons stepped out from the shadows. "This is the Laughing Coffin. They are a player-killing guild. They won't hesitate to end you life before you can even scream!" I drew my sword and leveled it at his eyes. Moon and Nightshade quickly joined me, and the two of them and Shade readied their weapons.

"They won't matter if we go straight for you. Do you really think that they will keep fighting for you once you're defeated?" I said.

"How will you be able to go straight for me when you must save your friends?" asked Amadeus. Dwyn and Hawkfury's avatars dropped to the ground in front of him, paralyzed.

Rage and anger boiled up inside of me. _How could he have gotten them?_ I thought then my anger was suddenly directed at myself. _Why wasn't I there to protect them? Why did I leave them?_

"Release them at once!" I demanded. "They did nothing wrong!"

"I would love to release them, but that defeats the purpose of holding hostages."

"Release them or-"

"Or what?" interrupted Amadeus stepping out from the shadows. He was fully clad in heavy armor with a powerful two-handed longsword on his belt. "You're going to tell all of my followers that I've sided with the Laughing Coffin so that they will abandon me? I will kill your friends if you do." Dwyn and Hawkfury both had expressions showing that they were afraid for their lives. "Of course," said Amadeus, "I'll let them go if you surrender yourself."

Just then I thought of Dwyn. I thought of his sister who tried to protect him. I thought of his goal to return home to his mother. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I caused him to die.

"I'll go," I stated. Amadeus smirked. "But you must give back Hawkfury and Dwyn before I will." His smirk turned into a scowl.

"You surrender yourself first," demanded Amadeus.

"I want to ensure the safety of my guild members."

"Fine," he said after a moment. He motioned to two of the Laughing Coffin members, and they picked up the paralyzed avatars and carried them over. They moved back to their original positions. "Now it's time for you to hold up your end."

"Use the tracker and follow from a distance. If my dot disappears, go to my last known location and look for clues," I whispered to Shade. She nodded in understanding. "I'm ready," I told Amadeus.

"Walk slowly," said the cloaked figure beside Amadeus. I walked over and stood in front of Amadeus.

"I finally have you in my grasp," said Amadeus in amusement. He nodded to a cloaked figure behind me, and I felt a stab in the back. I fell to the ground paralyzed.


	14. Escape

**Escape**

I awoke on the floor of a pitch black cave. I couldn't see anything, and my hands were tied behind my back. It was quieter than the vacuum of space. _I hope they are planning a rescue and executing it fast,_ I thought. _I'm running out of time._

The moment we were out of the town, Amadeus knocked me out with a thunderous punch to the back of my head. I didn't know how long I was out for or even if I was on the same floor.

I heard footsteps headed my way. Each step made my head pound, and the pain increased as the noise did. I could make out the shape of a cloaked figure. "It's time to go," he said.

"Go where?" I asked. He did not answer. He only helped me up and guided me out of the labyrinth with a knife to my back. The cave opened up into an arena, and I realized that it wasn't a cave but a tunnel. The light was blinding for a while before my eyes could adjust. The cloaked figure unbounded my hands then shoved me out and quickly shut the door.

I walked out into the middle of the arena and looked around. About a thousand people were in the stands, some booing at me. "Die, beater!" shouted someone from the crowd. Amadeus came out into the arena soon after. I quickly equipped my shield and sword then drew my sword as Amadeus approached.

"You have some interesting equipment," commented Amadeus, amused. "Which quests did you steal to get them?"

"Hawkfury made them. If you want some, then go ask him. He might do it if you're nice."

"Kill the beater!" came from the crowd.

"Do you know why you were brought here?" asked Amadeus.

"To finally end this."

"Not exactly. You were brought to this arena to die, but not just to die. It will be a painful and public death in front of all those who wish to come. All of the seats were filled for this event."

_I wonder if Shade knows about this,_ I thought.

"Hurry up!", "Kill him!", and "I didn't pay to just sit here!" came forth from the crowd.

"Now it is time," said Amadeus. We started the match and the usual scoreboard appeared. The crowd cheered.

We exchanged blow after blow in an attempt to hit the other person. Amadeus fought with a killer fierceness in his eyes while I was fighting to just stay alive. He continually advanced which caused me to continually retreat. His attacks were almost too much.

I leapt forward after an exchange of blows and rammed into Amadeus, knocking him onto his back. He scowled at me then jumped back to his feet.

"Did you really think I'd enter this if I wasn't guaranteed to win?" asked Amadeus. He then whistled, and five more players entered the arena. "You're going to die. They may not be able to harm you, but they can deflect your attacks and leave you open."

"Did you really think I'd enter this if I didn't have an escape plan?" I asked. Amadeus laughed at me.

"Your escape is impossible!" said Amadeus. "No beater has escaped from my grasp!"

"There's always a first for everything." Shade suddenly jumped down from the stands and landed at my side.

"I'm sorry about the wait," said Shade as she armed herself.

"The wait was fine," I said. "Did you bring back up?"

"Of course I did," she said. Hawkfury, Moon, Nightshade, and Dwyn soon joined Shade. Klein and his friends jumped in.

"I would never miss a fight against the enemy with you, Nighthawk," declared Klein with his fist raised.

Auryon leapt in and said, "I'm tired of watching things happen. I've decided to do something about things."

"It's great to see you here as well," I told Auryon.

"I didn't come alone," She said. Six other women joined her. "This is my party. We would like to follow the cause."

"Normally I would welcome you, but considering the circumstances, we need to get out of here," I said.

"You are locked in combat," said Klein. "You can't leave until it is over."

"I am going to need help with this," I said.

Egil leapt in next to Klein. "That is something I can help with," he said. The giant ax wielder looked close to the same as during the meeting on the first floor.

"Egil! Long time, no see!" I said. "How has you shop been?"

"Sales are going up," he said. "It helps to be cheap."

"Enough!" shouted Amadeus. "Your little reunion is cute, but I have to break it up now." He whistled again and all 23 members of the Laughing Coffin entered the arena. The crowd gasped at the appearance of the hooded figures. We were then outnumbered by the Laughing Coffin alone. "Give it up! You can't win!" jeered Amadeus.

"We will win. We will always win. It doesn't matter how many numbers you have on your side of how powerful you have become. We fight for the survival of our friends and family, and for that, we will always be the victor," I said.

"You are so naïve," said Amadeus. "Strength comes from power and numbers." He gripped his sword tighter. "But enough talk. Let us end this!"

Our two groups collided in a fury of blades. To onlookers, the battle looked like a giant frenzy. Every shadow was lit by the sparks. Our group was shoved back to the edge of the arena as we tried tirelessly to fend them all off. Then Amadeus showed himself and started charging at me with two of his minions.

"Cover me!" I shouted. I stood my ground as he came barreling towards me. He aimed his sword at me like a lance and charged into me. I barely dodged the sword, but I was knocked down by the force of the impact. He was just about to land a vorpal strike when Egil knocked him aside with his mighty ax. Shade, Auryon, and Klein joined him and made a wall between me and Amadeus.

"Sorry we're late," said Shade.

"Better late than never," I said back. I got up and readied myself again.

"You fight Amadeus," said Egil. "We'll try to keep outside interference to a minimum."

"Sounds good to me." They parted then formed a ring guarding all of my sides except my front. "This ends now."

Amadeus charged forward again. I cleared my mind and focused on just Amadeus. I blocked his attack with ease then slashed his chest with lightning speed. His eyes widened and he looked down at the red line left from the attack, stunned. I wasted no time and landed a vorpal strike, penetrating right through his chestplate and his back. His eyes showed fear as he gripped the blade that stuck through him. Amadeus dropped to his knees and let go of his sword.

"Game over," I told him. His HP hit zero, and his avatar shattered and disappeared.

The battle was over. The members of the Laughing Coffin stopped fighting and retreated, and the crowd got up and left. Silence filled the arena like a flood. I put away my shield and sword then walked over to the others.

"Thank you," I said.

"What is the point of forming a confederacy if you can't rely on it to help?" asked Klein. "Besides, it was fun fighting something other than an AI controlled monster."

"There is still a threat among us," said Egil. "The Laughing Coffin will not take this defeat lightly. They will probably try to take revenge in the middle of the night."

"Then we go into hiding just as they have. During the day, we will search for them, but during the night, we will hide," said Auryon. "We will hunt them down and bring them out."

"That we shall," I said. We all left the arena together.


	15. New Members

New Members

The tall grass gently swayed in the breeze. The small hills of the third floor rolled like the waves of the open sea. Moon and Dwyn were sparring in the fields. Auryon and her friends sat together under a lone tree. Nightshade and Hawkfury walked together holding hands. Shade and I sat with Auryon's party.

"I guess introductions are needed," said Auryon.

"It is hard to work with someone whos name you don't know," said Shade. Auryon nodded in agreement.

"This is Eilir," said Auryon, motioning to the girl on her left.

Eilir had a rapier at her side and wore a white shirt and shorts. She had light brown hair that flowed down to her lower back in a braid like a twisted multi-layered waterfall. She also had vibrant blue eyes and a small figure.

"Hello," she said, waving. "I'm pleased to be here."

"Hello," I said back, smiling. Shade punched my shoulder forcefully. "What was that for?" I asked while rubbing the impact site.

"Remember who you're with," she said in a warning tone. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to Auryon's friends.

"This is Brienne," said Auryon motioning to the girl on her right.

Brienne wore a full metal plate suit of armor. She had her long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, and her eyes were green like the grass around us. A longsword hung on her back.

"Pleased to be here," she said.

Motioning to the left of Eilir, Auryon said, "And this is Luanne."

Luanne had short black hair that only went down to her shoulders, and her black eyes made her look lonely. She wore a small red shirt with a light colored breastplate and a short red skirt to match. She had a one-handed sword and a shield on her back. Luanne only nodded at me. I nodded back.

"Airyn is sitting there," said Auryon pointing to the right of Brienne.

Airyn had golden brown hair tucked neatly under a full-head helmet. She had it's visor up so we could see her face and brown eyes. Airyn wore a full suit of armor similar to Brienne's armor. She had a lance which she had stuck in the ground beside her.

"Baara is sitting there," said Auryon pointing to the girl between Airyn and Luanne.

Baara had red hair and deep red eyes like fire. She wore a black cloak with a crimson shirt, and she wore black pants and boots. A rapier was sheathed at her left hip.

"And we seem to be missing one. Where's Kaula?" asked Auryon. All of the girls shrugged their shoulders. A girl with flowing black hair and a cloak came running over. "There she is." Kaula stood there, bent over and panting.

"Hooded people...lots of them...coming this way...Laughing Coffin..." sputtered Kaula in between pants. Everyone jumped up at the mention of the Laughing Coffin.

"What are they doing here? They shouldn't know about this!" shouted Eilir.

"It is possible that they have spies," I said. "Any smart PK guild would have spies."

"How about we stop chatting and prepare for them? We need a plan," said Shade. "Are we going to stay and fight or run and hide?"

"I think we should fight," said Airyn.

"No," I stated. "We need to fall back and gather reinforcements. There are twenty three of them and thirteen of us. They outnumber us and are ruthless."

"I thought you guys fought Amadeus and his people on a daily basis," said Luanne.

"Only if it's the smart move," I said then called everyone in. "We have a situation on our hands," I told Dwyn, Moon, Nightshade, and Hawkfury. "The Laughing Coffin is biting at our heels. We need to get away fast."

"Why don't we just teleport away?" asked Brienne.

"Because their spy will know where we teleported to, and they will sleep-PK us all," I told her.

"What is 'sleep-PK'?" asked Dwyn.

"I will answer your questions once we are all safe. Now, we move as a unit straight back to town for our dragon," I said. The original five nodded their heads in acknowledgment of some hidden meaning while Auryon and her six remained confused. "Let's go!"

I started running in the opposite direction of town with Shade and the others. Auryon and her party quickly caught up. Lana flew between Shade and I.

"What dragon?" asked Auryon.

"Our guild, the Dragon's Claw, has a list of codes. I just used one of them," I told her.

"So, where are we really headed?"

"Hopefully their spy was only listening or doesn't know their way around, and they'll be led in the wrong direction. At least, that was the thinking behind it."

"What if they didn't fall for it?"

"We are going to teleport when we are far enough away."

"Teleport to where?" she asked.

"Home."

We continued to run through the grass for as long as our legs could carry us. Dwyn almost collapsed from exhaustion. I pulled out a teleport crystal, and the others did as well. We held them up and said, "Teleport: Dorota!" Light flashed, and we were teleported to the town of Dorota.

Dorota was rather small for a town. The buildings were small and the streets narrow. Dirt covered most of the town.

"You live here?" asked Luanne, disappointed.

"Yeah. The surrounding fields remind Moon of home," said Shade.

"This is only a temporary home. We're buying a house once we've saved up enough coll," I said. "It's impossible for anyone to break in because of the game's programming. We'll be safe here during the night."

"How many beds are there?" asked Auryon.

"Three. We weren't anticipating anyone joining us."

"Then where do we sleep?" asked Baara.

"We can get more beds," I said. "Wait here." I motioned to Shade to follow me then walked out with her.

We returned to the town after dark. The streetlamps were lit, but the dirt dampened the effect of the light. We hurried to the apartment, constantly checking if we were being followed and going in circles far out of the way before getting there.

We walked in and found Auryon and her party. Moon, Dwyn, Nightshade, and Hawkfury had already gone to bed, and Eilir had fallen asleep on the couch.

"That took a while," said Auryon after noticing me and Shade.

"We had to be cautious," I said. "Can you all sleep two to a bed?"

"Sure."

"Good. There's not much more space left."

Shade and I placed the beds in the various rooms. Auryon and each of her friends went to sleep two to a bed except for Eilir, who had already fallen asleep. Shade and I changed out of our armor and into clothes for sleeping then we climbed into bed together.

"Do you think that we'll ever get out?" asked Shade.

"Of course we will," I told her. "If we couldn't get out, then people wouldn't keep trying to."

"I know, but the floors have been getting increasingly harder since the 60th floor. The monster's attack algorithms have been getting more and more unpredictable. We are still losing people on the frontlines, and now we're being chased by Laughing Coffin."

"It all seems hopeless, but I believe that we can get through this," I told her. I held her hand and said, "Together." She smiled and cuddled closer, and we fell asleep.


End file.
